That Strange and Subtle Magic of Birthdays
by LadyFlamewing
Summary: Originally begun as a one-part birthday gift, developed into a multi-chapter, sort-of-AU inspired by a number of sources, but most notably the short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye".
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

On his eighteenth birthday, Urameshi Yusuke receives a very strange gift. It appears to be nothing more than a small, unremarkable oil lamp from his mother, who is enjoying a spontaneous trip to the Middle East with friends. It is old and dusty and plain, and Yusuke can't quite understand why his mother would think to send it to him, but he _does_ appreciate the sentiment behind it, so he places it on an empty corner of his dresser. It remains there for about a week. Then things start to get even stranger.

He's rummaging around his room for a pair of clean socks when his hip bumps the dresser, setting the lamp wobbling precariously. Looking back on it later, Yusuke will realize that he never placed the lamp that close to the edge, but at the moment he can only lunge for it and hope to make it in time.

He's _just_ short, and the lamp slips through his grasp, though he manages to slow its descent enough to keep it from breaking against the floor. With a relieved sigh, Yusuke leans further forward to retrieve it, but a cloud of white mist suddenly streams out, and he jerks backwards, getting tangled up in his own feet and tumbling painfully to the floor.

The mist solidifies quickly, and Yusuke finds himself gazing at a pair of pale, fabric-draped legs in what was empty space just a moment ago. He follows them slowly upwards, his gaze tracing over narrow hips, a very bare chest, a slender neck, before he finally finds himself staring into a pair of cool green eyes.

"Eeep!" Yusuke manages to utter, and those emerald eyes roll towards the ceiling as their owner snorts rather condescendingly. Yusuke barely notices, preoccupied with trying to figure out what the hell has just happened.

The farthest he can get is that there is a strange boy standing in his room, having apparently materialized from the lamp his mother sent him as a birthday present. His long red hair is pulled back into a high ponytail. His green eyes gaze calmly out from above a thin, filmy veil, rimmed with soft black lines. He's bare to the waist, clad only in gauzy silver pants that are barely decent, but he _is_ wearing quite a bit of jewelry: heavy bangles on his wrists, bells on his ankles, a slim headdress that drapes elegantly across his forehead. And strangest of all, he exudes a sort of _presence_ that Yusuke can feel pressing against him: something…otherworldly, but strangely familiar somehow.

"What _are_ you?" Yusuke asks without thinking. The boy raises a delicate eyebrow.

"The djinn of your lamp," he replies shortly, which Yusuke just finds maddeningly unhelpful.

"What the hell's a djinn?" he demands, and now the boy's lips curve into a mocking smirk.

"We're more colloquially known as 'genies'," he says, and Yusuke notes the disgust coloring the djinn's tone.

"A…_djinn_," he pronounces carefully, "…as in…I get three wishes?"

The boy sighs, his jewelry ringing with the slight motion. "Yes, three wishes. And to accompany them, three rules."

"Rules?"

The djinn holds up a hand, reciting rules rather listlessly as he counts them off on long, elegant fingers. "Rule number one: You may not wish for more wishes. Rule number two: I cannot raise anyone from the dead. And rule number three: I cannot interfere with true love."

Yusuke blinks. "That's it?"

Those green eyes turn to him once more in a scornful gaze. "I _said_ there were only three rules."

"Huh," Yusuke comments rather eloquently, and then there is an awkward moment of silence as he considers his options.

"Have you a wish, Master?" the djinn finally asks impatiently, snapping Yusuke rather abruptly out of his contemplation.

"My name's Urameshi," he responds in lieu of an answer, glancing up with a weak smile. "Urameshi Yusuke. You don't have to call me 'master'."

The boy either doesn't hear him, or he doesn't care, as he only reiterates, "A wish, Master?"

Yusuke shakes his head, his smile fading. "I haven't got anything at the moment. I'm sorr – "

The djinn calmly cuts him off. "Then I will return to my lamp. Call on me when you desire your first wish granted." And with that, he turns away.

"Wait!" Yusuke says quickly, and the boy halts, but doesn't turn. "It's just – there's so much I still don't know. Like your name. What's your name?"

"My name is irrelevant," the djinn responds tersely, and then he's gone without a trace, leaving Yusuke wondering what he's done wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

Yusuke spends the next several days trying to initiate some sort of conversation with his djinn – _any_ sort, in fact – but the boy refuses to respond: for all the progress he makes, Yusuke might have done better trying to engage a brick wall. The djinn seldom even speaks, and on the rare occasions he does, he only asks icily, "Have you decided on your first wish yet, Master?"

Under the best of conditions, Yusuke's reserves of patience are pitifully small, and after yet another failed attempt to learn the djinn's name, they finally run dry.

"Damn it!" he curses angrily. "All I'm trying to do is be friendly; I wish you'd at least answer my goddamn questions!"

It isn't until he stares into furious green eyes for a few moments that Yusuke actually realizes what he's just said.

"No, I didn't mean – " he begins hastily, but the djinn interrupts, his speech halting, his tone poisonous – as though, Yusuke realizes, the words are being pulled from him without his consent.

"So you have wished it, so shall it be."

There is a brief, awkward pause as the djinn seethes and Yusuke tries to figure out what's just happened.

"So, what now?" he finally asks.

The answer comes immediately, which is more than a little disconcerting, considering the track record Yusuke has of getting the djinn to talk. "I am required to answer your questions."

Yusuke winces slightly. "Even if you don't want to?"

The djinn glares at him. "That was your wish. I am required to fulfill it."

"_Why_ don't you want to?" Yusuke thinks to ask, after another moment of silence.

Scoffing disdainfully, the djinn turns away. "I have no desire to engage myself in conversation with you."

"But _why?_" Yusuke persists. "What have I done to make you hate me so much?"

Unexpectedly, the djinn whirls on him. "And isn't that just disgustingly _human_ of you," he sneers, "assuming that everything has to involve you somehow? What makes you so special? When will you stupid creatures realize your insignificance?"

Yusuke's anger flares in response, and he finds himself surprisingly incensed at the fact that this…this boy, this _being_ can apparently feel nothing but contempt in the face of Yusuke's honest attempts to befriend him.

"Well, what am I supposed to think?" he demands furiously. "You won't tell me anything! And even after I make you talk by fucking wishing for it, you won't give me straight answers!"

"Then how's this for a straight answer?" the djinn snarls, jewelry jangling harshly as he tosses his head angrily. "I _hate_ humans. _All_ humans. There is absolutely _nothing_ special about you."

"That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard," Yusuke hisses, getting swept up in the djinn's rage, though he knows subconsciously that nothing good can come of this.

"Oh, really?" the boy retorts, stalking towards Yusuke, that sense of oddly familiar _presence_ increasing steadily until Yusuke can almost feel it rolling off the djinn in waves. "You have _no_ idea what I have seen."

Refusing to back down, Yusuke only goads, "Then maybe you should tell me."

"Maybe I will," the djinn breathes, close enough now that Yusuke feels the words whisper across his skin, and the sensation makes him uncomfortably aware of the djinn's proximity, enough so that he speaks without thinking.

"Then I wish you'd get on with it," he murmurs, anger fading as quickly as it came, and all of a sudden, he's not entirely sure what he means – what he wants – anymore.

The djinn's eyes widen briefly, and he blinks a few times, his brow furrowing slightly. But he recovers nicely, a malicious smirk spreading across his face not a moment later as he says once more, "So you have wished it, so shall it be."

_Something tells me I'm not going to enjoy this_, Yusuke thinks, and then the world dissolves.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

_He exists – or, more accurately, __**doesn't**__ – in a wide expanse of nothing: a void with no force, no time, no dimension. An endless pocket of space in which the only constant is the comforting presence of his own magic. And just as he begins to adjust to these strange surroundings, there is a sharp btug/b at his core, and he is pulled into the light._

_The first thing he knows is that his magic is bound. He can feel it, sense it pulsing along his veins and pushing against the thin barrier of his skin, but he can also feel that it is no longer his own. Though delicate, the circlets of metal at his wrists and ankles are fetters, incapable of being removed by force or magic, except –_

Here, the magic falters slightly, and a strange sense of duality cuts into him: dividing him into a part that is still Yusuke, and a part that is not. And the part that is Yusuke is carefully kept from learning just what that exception is.

_– binding him to the will of his current Master. And as he grants wish after wish for Master after Master, his disgust for this material world only grows. He is a passenger in his own body, forced to perform everything from the most mundane tasks to the completely unthinkable – murders, kidnappings, assassinations, thefts – all against his will. Powerless to resist, his utter helplessness in the face of these bindings only fuels his rage._

_As he moves through time, he is forced to witness again and again the darker side of humanity. He sees the terrible things humans are capable of doing to one another, and he quickly learns to dread each new Master, to fear each new wish. He longs constantly for the soothing comfort of the void. And just as he begins to think he's seen it all, things get worse._

_He still remembers, all these years later –_

The vast implication of time that accompanies this thought, this memory, staggers the part of Yusuke that is himself, driving the duality deeper.

_– the Master who first dared to turn his magic against him. He remembers the long, dark hair; the pale skin; the shadowed eyes. He remembers the voice, the hands. He remembers the wish:_

_"I wish you desired me."_

Yusuke recoils in horror, his self finally pulling almost completely free from that of the djinn, whose only reaction is resignation. He sees the rest in a dizzying perspective that is nearly that of an observer, with only faint echoes of the djinn's more powerful emotions. The echoes, however, are more than enough.

_It's as if the next Masters can sense the change: steadily, it becomes common for each to use at least one wish to force him into submission. They wish for him to feel lust, or desire. They wish for him to obey their every command. The worst wish for him to enjoy as they use his body for their own pleasures, and he cannot disobey._

_They take everything he can give: his body, his dignity, his honor. In desperation, he clings to those overwhelming feelings of hatred and disgust and lets them consume him. He lets them fuel his own foolish pride, until he can believe that he is better than these creatures who have hurt him so._

_He forgets everything he once held dear. His mind twists and warps until he becomes a creature of pride, turning to malice and deceit as a subtle kind of revenge for the pain he feels. Forced as he is to obey the desires of those he considers so far beneath him, he learns to sidestep, to trick, to deliberately misinterpret wishes._

_His true self cries out quietly within him, but he pushes it aside to keep himself sane. He casts aside who he was and becomes what he has been forced to be: a djinn._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

The world swims slowly back into focus, and Yusuke finds himself once again staring at a pair of gauze-draped legs and delicate, bare feet. Except this time, he's sprawled on the carpet, and – judging from the sore stiffness he can feel in his muscles – has been for some time.

Blinking groggily, he manages to stagger to his feet. When he glances up, he is met by that indecipherable emerald gaze, and he is unable to hold it. After only a moment, he has to look away, and he sits down heavily on his bed.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, hating himself for having nothing better to say. He's just fucking seen – _felt_ – this boy be repeatedly raped, and he can't come up with anything other than 'I'm sorry'.

For a long while, the djinn doesn't answer, and Yusuke can't blame him. He sure as hell doesn't know what he'd say in this situation. Finally, though, the djinn breaks the silence to ask hesitantly, "You…regret…what has happened to me?"

That's not at all the response Yusuke has been expecting, and he glances up in surprise. The djinn is watching him intently, brow furrowed in…confusion?

"Yes," Yusuke answers immediately, but this appears to only bewilder the djinn further.

"Because…I have made you experience it in my place?" he says slowly.

"No," Yusuke denies quickly. But then he thinks about it for a minute, and amends, "Yes. Well…" The djinn looks even more confused, so Yusuke shakes his head and tries to explain. "Look, no one should have to go through that kind of shit. No one."

The djinn stares at him, and Yusuke feels the strangest sensation that the boy is actually _seeing_ him for the first time. "It was their right," he says slowly. "Their wishes were well within the rules."

Yusuke collapses backwards with a groan. "Screw the rules. That's not the point," he protests. "They shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that." A terrible notion occurs to him then, and he stiffens in horror. "Like I did; I forced you to do something you didn't want to. I forced you to talk."

He slams his fists angrily down onto the mattress, which is far too yielding to give him any satisfaction. "Damn it! I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to get to know you."

He's so consumed by his self-disgust that he doesn't notice the bed shift as a weight settles next to him, but he definitely notices when a warm body suddenly presses along his own, when thick hair spills across his chest.

"What – " he begins, but the djinn hushes him with warm fingers across his lips, and Yusuke dazedly realizes that this is the first time the boy has ever touched him.

"Hush," he murmurs, and those long fingers trail gently down Yusuke's neck as the djinn pulls them away. Despite everything, Yusuke can't stop the shiver that runs through his body at the touch, but if the djinn notices, he doesn't say a word. They lie there in silence for quite some time, Yusuke's pulse pounding in his ears and trying desperately to ignore the djinn's tempting proximity.

"I lied to you, Master," the djinn says softly, almost sadly. Yusuke glances down, but the boy's face is hidden behind a curtain of red hair.

"When?" Yusuke asks, though he doesn't really need – or care about – an answer. The memories he has seen have taught him quite a bit, the least of which is not that this djinn is mischievous, possibly even cruel.

The djinn answers, though. "There _is_ something special about you," he muses, hands drifting aimlessly across the planes of Yusuke's chest. "But I don't understand why."

He looks up, and his gaze is mournful, bewildered, and _old_. "Your heart beats just the same," he whispers. "Your blood sings in your veins in my presence, your body responds to my touches. So what is it that makes you so different, Master? Why does your heart mourn what your body desires?"

Again, Yusuke speaks without knowing what he's going to say. "Yusuke," he hears himself respond dazedly. "Please, call me Yusuke. Just once."

The djinn blinks in surprise, then smiles, and Yusuke understands why he has been so very careful about his facial expressions. The boy is absolutely _beautiful_ when he smiles. Following hard upon the heels of that thought is the vague realization that the concealing veil has disappeared. Yusuke wonders if that's important.

"Yusuke," the djinn repeats, and it just sounds so _right_. He slides gently up Yusuke's body to rest his head in the dip between neck and shoulder, and when he speaks again, his lips brush delicately against Yusuke's skin.

"My name is Kurama, Yusuke," he breathes, and Yusuke bites back a groan. "Feel free to call on me."

"Kurama," Yusuke murmurs, and there again is that strange twinge of recognition, but before he can pursue it, he realizes that the body atop his is becoming less substantial by the moment. "Call on you when I make my last wish?"

"Yes," the djinn (_Kurama_, Yusuke reminds himself) responds, just before he fades away entirely, and Yusuke feels his heart sink. But then Kurama's voice drifts to him from nowhere and everywhere, "But I rather think I'd like to see you before then."

And then he's gone, leaving behind a faint perfume of flowers and an achingly familiar warmth on Yusuke's skin.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

"Kurama," Yusuke calls with some trepidation, brushing his hand lightly across the lamp. When the djinn appears, moments later, he is careful to conceal the inordinate pleasure he feels.

"Aren't humans of your age expected to attend school?" Kurama asks, arching a delicate eyebrow. Yusuke shrugs in response and tosses a pair of jeans across the room, which the djinn snatches deftly out of the air.

"Put 'em on," Yusuke says, deliberately turning away to give the other boy some privacy and rummaging through his closet.

"Are we going somewhere, Master?" he hears, and the pleasure twists into awful disappointment.

Kurama gives a sudden, startled laugh. "Yusuke," he amends softly, and Yusuke has to wonder if he's just _that_ transparent. "I apologize. It has been some time since I last addressed a Master by name."

"That's all right," Yusuke reassures quickly, smiling – though the djinn cannot see it. "Why is it so strange for you?" he adds, almost as an afterthought.

"Power," comes the simple response.

Yusuke turns, a dark green button-down _(where the hell did this come from?_ he wonders absently) in his hands, but the question on his lips fades when he catches sight of Kurama. The djinn is now wearing the jeans, though Yusuke iknows/i Kurama hasn't moved an inch. He _jingles_, for crying out loud.

"How – ?" he begins. Kurama smiles.

"Magic."

"Smart ass," Yusuke retorts, glaring.

The djinn only laughs, and Yusuke comes to the startling realization that it's a very pleasant sound, indeed.

"It's true, though," Kurama protests, a new glint in his eyes – one that's almost playful. "Magic governs everything that I do. In the old magic, a name is power." He shrugs lazily, drawing Yusuke's gaze to the subtle play of muscles across his bare chest. "A djinn is not generally permitted to speak his Master's name. In turn, most Masters consider the knowledge of their servants' given names beneath them."

With some effort, Yusuke looks up again. "Is that why you didn't want to tell me your name at first? You thought I was after more power?"

Kurama nods, and the sweet, familiar chime of bells drifts to Yusuke's ears. Frowning, Yusuke motions at Kurama's delicate headdress.

"Can you take that off? I don't…remember it being like your bells and bracelets."

Kurama lifts a hand to his forehead, fingering the ornament with elegant fingers. "Yes, you are correct. It is simply decoration." And just like that, the headdress is gone. Yusuke blinks in surprise, and Kurama is suddenly close enough that Yusuke can feel the heat of his body.

"I've silenced the bells, as well," the djinn murmurs, his gaze focused intently on Yusuke's. It drops only when Yusuke thrusts his hands desperately forward, pressing the shirt against Kurama's bare skin.

"The sleeves on that should cover up the bracelets, then," he manages, silently congratulating himself on the fact that he sounds nearly normal. "Nobody will ever know you're anything but human."

Kurama's gaze flickers back to him, warm and inscrutable, and Yusuke's no longer holding the shirt, but pressing his palms against it, feeling the planes of the djinn's chest through the thin material.

"It's lovely," Kurama murmurs. "Thank you."

Shrugging to cover up the fact that his mouth has gone suddenly dry, Yusuke turns and leaves the room. Kurama is a warm, steady presence at his back.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

Yusuke watches carefully as Kurama takes in the sight, the smells, the sounds, the _tastes_ that come wafting to them from various brightly-colored tents. For several long moments, the djinn seems content to simply breathe slowly in and out, his eyes closed, his expression content.

Finally, Yusuke can't take it anymore. "Well?" he asks impatiently. "What do you think?"

Kurama opens his eyes and turns towards Yusuke. "It's a festival," he says, and despite his casual shrug, Yusuke can see the delight in his eyes. "Different from those I have known, but a festival nonetheless."

Yusuke groans. "And here I thought I'd have you all doe-eyed with wonder," he grumbles. Kurama chuckles.

"What are we doing here, anyway?" he thinks to ask. Yusuke grins.

"Having fun," he answers. "Come on." And before Kurama can protest, Yusuke takes him by the hand and leads him straight into the chaotic center of the carnival.

------

They go on one ride, and then it's all downhill – in a matter of speaking – from there, as Yusuke realizes that Kurama's unintentional reactions thrill him in ways he couldn't have anticipated. At every dip, spin, drop, Kurama wrinkles his nose, or gasps softly, or gives a breathy moan, and Yusuke is quick to exhaust every possibility of eliciting those reactions again.

He's just about to suggest they repeat the circuit of rides, but Kurama gives him a look that says quite clearly, 'I can see _right_ through you,' and Yusuke decides that maybe it's time to move on to the boardwalk games.

He makes another interesting discovery here: Kurama's not above using his magic to cheat. He _must _be using his magic, Yusuke soon realizes, because sure, Yusuke's always been lucky, but never like _this._ In no time at all, the two are staggering along, arms laden with neon-bright stuffed animals, and Yusuke's just beginning to wonder what the _hell_ he's going to do with them all when he notices that Kurama's giving them away.

_It's not that he's simply handing them out at random, though,_ Yusuke thinks, after watching a few of the exchanges. The djinn will discreetly – but intently – study a child for several long moments before deliberately selecting a toy from the vast number he and Yusuke are carrying.

Some of these Yusuke can pretend to understand: a playful and energetic boy is presented with a handsome black dog; the bright, cheerful one laughs delightedly at his rabbit's crooked ears. But others leave him absolutely mystified: a timid, soft-spoken girl walks away clutching a fierce orange tiger in her delicate arms; the boy with belligerent eyes and a sharp tongue is left staring incredulously at his fluffy new sheep.

Yet, no matter how reluctant or eager the children are to accept the proffered gifts, there is no hiding the way their eyes light up – each and every time – in that unbridled joy of childhood.

Yusuke watches curiously, but he waits until they're headed home, until Kurama's given away all but two of the animals, before he brings it up.

"So, what was all that about?" he asks. "That thing with the stuffed animals?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd want to _keep_ the silly things," Kurama answers, turning to him with wide, innocent eyes. "Shall I run and fetch them all back for you, Master?"

Yusuke gives him a half-hearted glare. "That's not what I meant, and you know it," he protests. "You were…doing something," he trails off weakly, realizing that he has no idea _what_ Kurama was doing. "Something magic."

Kurama laughs, though not unkindly, before answering. "All humans are inherently magical, you know."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Yusuke asks, frowning. "And what does that even mean? If everybody's magic, then why doesn't everyone go around _doing_ magic all the time?"

"They do."

Yusuke has no response to that, other than to fix Kurama with a skeptical look until the djinn finally breaks down and explains. "All humans perform weak magic throughout their every day lives, whether they are aware of it or not."

"How can people not know they're doing magic?" Yusuke asks. "I would think it would be fairly obvious."

"_You _didn't," Kurama points out, smiling.

Yusuke blinks. "What?"

"Luck," Kurama says simply. "Luck is the most common form for unintentionally expressed magic to take."

"Then…all that, back there… That was me?" Yusuke asks.

"I may have…_prodded_ your magic a bit," the djinn admits, "but it was primarily your own power, yes."

"I don't understand," Yusuke protests. "Why would I have such powerful magic to begin with?"

"Because you believe in it."

Yusuke groans in exasperation. "Do you get some sort of perverse pleasure out of being vague?"

Kurama smiles, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Human magic - any magic, really – hinges strongly on belief. You, since you have now had some exposure to magic, have heightened your belief in its existence – and thus, exponentially increased the strength of your own magic."

"Children," he continues, "tend to have a powerful belief in the magic of all things, and so will generally exhibit stronger magic than most adults."

Yusuke frowns, considering. "Okay… I guess that makes sense. But I still don't get what that has to do with the stuffed animals."

"Magic exists as an aura – a sort of…trailing mist, for lack of a better description – about its master," Kurama explains, shrugging, "visible to anyone with a more powerful magic. But past a certain level of power, the aura will assume a form, a physical shape. The shape is arbitrary, often independent of the master's character, but it always creates a powerful bond between magic and master."

"So…you were…matching those kids' magic…with the shapes their magics have taken?" Yusuke ventures, and is quite relieved when Kurama nods.

"Yes. The shape of a person's magic can be forcibly revealed by anyone with a more powerful magic. And because of the bond between magic and master, a person will feel a strong connection to whatever form their magic has taken."

Yusuke gestures curiously at the remaining animals. "And what about those? Couldn't find matches?"

Kurama shakes his head and hold one out, some hideous, pastel-blue monstrosity. "On the contrary. These are ours."

Reluctantly, Yusuke takes the thing – a penguin, he thinks it's supposed to be. "You've _got_ to be kidding," he says with a grimace.

Kurama laughs behind one elegant hand. "Well," he admits, reaching out to it, "it's not _quite_ right." He places both hands atop the toy, and suddenly, there's a bizarre _flex_ of power in Yusuke's hands.

He watches, astonished, as the thing changes shape in response to Kurama's magic: its fur shortens and darkens, it grows squatter and more square, it sprouts a tiny tuft of unruly black hair and a pair of ears that more resemble wings than anything else. And damned if, when Kurama pulls away and lets him stare at the thing, Yusuke doesn't feel a recurrence of that strange twinge of recognition.

"What is it?" he asks, with no small amount of trepidation.

"A phoenix chick."

Yusuke holds it up and turns it in several directions, wondering if a new angle of observation will help. It doesn't, really. "A phoenix? Those legendary birds…made of fire, or whatever?"

"Precisely. Rather odd-looking things when they're young, aren't they?"

Yusuke nods absently. He's more interested in the piece of information Kurama's let slip. Unintentionally, Yusuke's willing to bet. "How do you know what a phoenix looks like?"

The djinn looks startled for a moment, but he turns away with another graceful shrug, inspecting the last remaining animal.

"Not quite right, either," he murmurs, and his magic pulses out once more.

It rolls over Yusuke's skin in waves he can almost _see,_ rippling across his bare arms. And in one frightening moment, he realizes that – even if his mind doesn't quite understand – his body _does_ know Kurama's, and it wants the djinn. He's aroused now, watching the boy's delicate features furrow in concentration, feeling his power – more so than he can ever remember being before.

Shaken, Yusuke forces himself to watch only the animal, tearing his gaze from the djinn whose will is shaping it. The little creature pales – the color rushes into its eyes – grows a number of new tails, and leaves Yusuke staring at a little silver fox with glowing amber eyes.

The recognition this time is staggering in its intensity, sending Yusuke reeling until he collides heavily with the side of an empty booth. The pain registers only dimly, along with the sound of Kurama calling his name, as he loses his senses under a flood of memories that aren't his.

A boy, the image of his own djinn – similar, but not the same. Warmer, kinder, but in turns also colder, and more deadly. Yusuke knows him, but doesn't. He watches this other Kurama – watches him fight, watches him bleed, watches him _die,_ before he finally wrenches himself away from the memories, disoriented, to feel someone shaking his shoulders none too gently.

"Yusuke," Kurama - _his_ Kurama – says, brow furrowed, "are you all right?"

"Fine," Yusuke lies, bending to retrieve their animals from where they have been dropped in the dust. He hands them to Kurama, who cradles them gently in his arms.

"We ought to head back," the djinn suggests. "You look quite pale."

Yusuke nods. "Yeah. Let's go home."

Preoccupied as he is with thoughts, feelings, memories that seem at once completely alien and as natural as breathing, he misses the look of surprised contemplation that flickers over Kurama's face in response.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

With a frustrated sigh, Yusuke rolls onto his side. He knows he should be asleep – _wants_ to be asleep, it's too damn early for him to be conscious – but there's just too much to _think_ about. Resigned, he opens his eyes.

He's surprised to find Kurama perched on the thin sill of his window, gazing out, one slender leg drawn up to his chest. The moonlight bleaches his hair to silver where it falls on him, makes the delicate angles of his face cast harsh shadows. The djinn looks sleek, dark, _dangerous_, but Yusuke's body doesn't seem to realize what his mind knows, because the arousal flares just the same.

And just as before, he's helpless against the images that flood his mind: the other Kurama beneath him, knees pressed to his chest, face flushed and eyes glazed over with lust as Yusuke thrusts into him, power leaping and crackling and _biting_, and –

"Yusuke?"

In a startling parallel of earlier, that soft voice cuts through Yusuke's thoughts. He glances over to see Kurama gazing steadily at him, expression unreadable.

"What's up?" Yusuke asks softly. "Can't sleep?"

Kurama doesn't answer, just watches him with that steady gaze, and Yusuke has the discomfiting feeling that the djinn knows _exactly_ what has just been running through Yusuke's mind. Nevertheless, he continues speaking, rolling onto his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows.

"Me neither," he remarks, and instead of the silence he expects, Kurama's voice drifts to him from across the room.

"Shall I tell you a story?"

When Yusuke turns to look at him this time, there _is_ something in his eyes, something almost…curious, though about what, Yusuke couldn't say.

"Huh?"

"Is that not what humans do?" Kurama asks, crossing the room to perch delicately on the edge of the bed. Yusuke rolls over onto his back to look up at the djinn. "Tell stories to lull one another to sleep?"

Yusuke considers this for a moment, then shrugs. "Sure, why not? As long as you've been around, you've got to have some good stories, right?" He sits up a bit, tucks a pillow behind himself, and leans back, settling in. "Fire away."

For a long time, Kurama only looks at him, and just as Yusuke's beginning to squirm in discomfort under that penetrating gaze, the djinn inclines his head and looks away.

"As you wish," he murmurs, and begins.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

"Once upon a time – for that is how all such stories must begin – there existed a small desert kingdom. Or, rather, it was the tiny oasis in the midst of a vast desert, beautiful and prosperous.

In many ways, it was quite different from the traditional kingdoms of stories – perhaps most notably, in that it was ruled not by a king, but a queen. Lovely, kind, and wise, she was the pride of her people. The men of the kingdom vied for the opportunity to serve on her personal guard – many offering their services without asking for compensation.

Yet the queen understood the needs of men. She paid them well, and went so far as to keep a small harem in her palace – it was customary of many rulers, though generally only those male. Girls often wished for the day they could be selected to the queen's harem – "

"Why?" Yusuke cuts in incredulously. "Why would any girl _want_ to be part of a harem?"

Kurama turns towards him, blinking in surprise, and Yusuke gets the feeling that the djinn's forgotten he has an audience.

"What?"

"Why?" Yusuke repeats.

The djinn blinks a few more times before explaining. "Girls in a harem are well cared-for – three meals a day, hot baths, a roof to sleep under – which makes it preferable to trying to eke out a living on the land, especially for a low-born girl. And the queen of this kingdom was adamant that the men in her palace treat her girls with the utmost care. Any suggestion of misconduct, and the guard in question was promptly executed – all on the mere word of one of the young women of the harem."

Yusuke nods slowly. "Oh."

Kurama doesn't appear to hear him, though – the djinn's gaze is distant as he continues.

"Yes, girls wished, and prayed – and for one peasant girl, the gods seemed to hear. For one still afternoon, while she was tending her family's small garden, the royal guards found her. Even dirty and dressed in rags as she was, her beauty was clearly evident, and the men were quick to locate her parents and make the offer they had only dreamed of – a place for their daughter in the queen's harem.

For a long while, it seemed as if the young girl's every wish had come true. Her beauty brought her the most prominent position in the harem, made her much sought-after. She had everything she could want: men fought for her time, brought her tokens of their affections; the other young women in the harem looked up to her, loved her.

But all good things must come to an end.

Knowing well that her kingdom would require an heir, the queen decided that it was high time she took a husband. From the many suitors who appeared, she finally chose one – a young man; gentle, slender and pale, with hair as black as night. The queen loved him with all her heart, and he loved her in return.

But he was a naturally curious man, and that curiosity drove him to spend hours wandering the halls of the castle – which is where the trouble began.

The girls of the queen's harem had been warned to keep away from him, naturally, and all were eager to comply – they loved their queen as much, perhaps even more than, anyone. But, as fate would have it, his wanderings brought him into the baths – just as the young peasant girl was bathing.

To call it love at first sight would not be inaccurate, I think. All thoughts of duty and honor fled the two of them, and the young man lay with her there, taking her on the warm tiles. Daily, they met, in secret, their love too strong to deny. But a queen has eyes everywhere, and it was not long before they were discovered.

The queen was enraged – that the man she loved had spurned her affections, had sought comfort in the arms of a low-born girl of her harem. And yet, her love would not allow her to blame him. The girl alone was punished.

For the queen, you see, was also a powerful enchantress – "

"Oh, come on," Yusuke protests, and he watches Kurama come slowly out of what seems to be a deep reverie. The djinn turns, one delicate eyebrow arched.

"What is it, Yusuke?"

"An _enchantress_, Kurama? That's so…cliché."

The djinn only smiles, almost sadly. "Be that as it may, such is how the story must be told."

Yusuke sighs and subsides, muttering, "I _still_ think it's a little ridiculous."

Kurama just shakes his head and continues.

"'As you have stolen my love, so shall I steal yours,' the queen declared, and with that, placed a deep and terrible curse on the young girl, a curse condemning her to a life without love.

But the curse did not stop there. It bound the girl to an eternity of servitude, with never a chance for love. Yet, it could be broken only _by_ love – true love – and at a terrible price. For if anyone loved her – and she them, in return – enough to break the spell, the cost would be their life."

For a moment, the room is deathly silent. And then, the djinn continues, very softly.

"She was exiled. Bound forever to a material object and cast into the desert, to be lost in the changing sands. An eternity of imprisonment, cold and lonely, save for those brief moments she was freed to glimpse the sun."

Something in his voice makes Yusuke look up. The djinn is perched gracefully on the edge of the bed, face drawn in the moonlight, and what's in his expression is the most overwhelming sorrow that Yusuke has ever seen. To him, it's hard to believe that anyone could ever _exist_ feeling such a thing, and suddenly, everything clicks into place.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he asks, and Kurama's gaze turns slowly to him, dark and pained. It's all the answer Yusuke needs. He realizes that, perhaps, this is what the djinn has wanted all along – someone to listen to his story, someone to hear his pain.

"How did you survive?"

"I didn't," Kurama answers, with a shrug that is nearly as expressive as his eyes. "You've seen that."

And Yusuke recalls his second wish, everything he learned through it: particularly the way Kurama lost – or hid away – all that he once was.

"No one ever tried to free you?" he asks incredulously. "In all these years, there's never been anyone who fell in love with you?"

Kurama's gaze hardens again, and he turns away from Yusuke, moving back to the window. He leans against the wall beside it, staring out for what feels like an eternity – except that it doesn't, really, now that Yusuke has a better understanding of what an eternity feels like – before he finally replies.

"Once," he says softly. "A very long time ago."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I claim no rights to Yu Yu Hakusho, nor any related characters or merchandise, and make no profit from the writing or distribution of this work of fiction.

For once in his life, Yusuke can't pry – can't pester, can't bother, can't wheedle – because every time he thinks about trying, he sees Kurama's eyes again, dark green and in clear agony. What right does he have to make the djinn go through all that again – and why should he want to?

And surprisingly, his silence – if only for lack of anything to say – appears to be the appropriate response. After a long, tense moment, Kurama stirs, takes a deep breath, and speaks again.

"He was," the djinn says – almost absently, Yusuke notices, as though Kurama is not speaking _to_ anyone, simply thinking aloud – "a young man, and yet – for all his youth – so very powerful. A warrior, he was at times rough and brash – how else was he to command respect? – but at his core, a gentle soul. It shone through most often in regards to his family; in fact, he used his first two wishes to help them.

The first he used to cure his mother of what is now known as tuberculosis – a disease that would have been fatal in those times. The second he used to bring his sister happiness – those were his exact words, 'Bring my sister happiness'. Had he not already proven his true character, I would have twisted that wish, found a way to make the happiness temporary, taken her life at the instant she found it. Instead, I allowed her to find true love."

Yusuke, against his better judgment, hears himself speak up, asking, "I thought you weren't allowed to interfere with true love." Almost instantly, he's berating himself, thinking that Kurama will suddenly realize what he's revealing, but the djinn seems to take it in stride, answering in that same absent tone – as if the question had occurred to him naturally.

"There are loopholes, of course. There are always loopholes – that's why djinni can twist wishes the way they do. And so, by interpreting 'interfere' as having a negative influence, it was quite simple to have a positive influence and still be working well within the rules.

His third wish – " Here, Kurama falters for a moment, and Yusuke's not surprised. A strange, sinking certainty is beginning to fill him – he knows where this story is going. Not just an impersonal knowledge, though. There's something strange about this knowing – like he's been through it before. But that's impossible.

Isn't it?

"His third wish he swore to use to free me. Oh, how well I remember the night he made that promise – lying beside me, pale in the moonlight, save for his hair, which seemed to drink in the light. His eyes were so gentle, a look he generally reserved for his family. He ran callused fingers down my back and swore to me that he would use his last wish to set me free."

"He didn't, though," Yusuke interrupts, and again, it's like he can't stop himself. There's just something in him that needs to speak, that needs to understand why he _knows_. "Because something happened, something that made him use his last wish in a way he didn't want to."

Slowly – oh, so slowly – Kurama turns from the window, the moonlight casting a hazy corona of light about his slim body. Feeling strangely disconnected from his body, Yusuke keeps talking, no matter how much his mind screams at him to stop, to see what this is doing to Kurama.

"He used it…he used it for himself – it was what he'd never wanted. He had no reason to use his wishes for himself, he used them for other people, except that something happened…something…"

"A wound," the djinn whispers, crossing the room slowly, his face in shadows. Yusuke rises to meet him, standing at the edge of the bed, but Kurama stops an arm's length away. "He took a wound on the battlefield that festered, badly enough to threaten his life."

"He couldn't leave his family – couldn't leave his men," Yusuke finishes, and he hears the shaky intake of breath from just a few feet in front of him. "So he wished for you to save his life…" But something about that is wrong. That's not how it happened. "Because you made him. You made him give up his wish of setting you free, so that you could save his life."

"How?" Kurama asks, shakily, and shifts, just far enough that a sharp angle of moonlight falls across his face. His delicate brows are furrowed, his eyes desperate. "How do you know these things?"

Yusuke can only shake his head. He has no answer – and can there even be one? But it doesn't appear to matter that he doesn't speak, because a moment later, the djinn has answered his own question.

"Of course," he breathes, his green eyes widening in a manner that would be almost comical, if the situation weren't so completely bewildering. "You are the same man. Why didn't I ever see it?"

"What are you talking about?" Yusuke asks, with a voice that – he swears to himself – isn't shaking. The moonlight is intensely bright in his face, dazzling in his eyes, and for a confused, startling moment, he sees Kurama as he once was – the way he emerged from the lamp, almost, but _younger_ somehow – gauze-draped, bare-chested, and beautiful.

The vision is gone almost as quickly as it came, broken when Kurama moves, reaching out with long, trembling fingers to trace the line of Yusuke's cheekbone, the curve of his jaw.

"You are the prince, the warrior – and now, the boy," the djinn murmurs, something like wonder in his voice as it drifts to Yusuke's ears. "The same soul, following me throughout the centuries. And I…I never realized."

"No – " Yusuke begins to protest, but it's no use. Because he has done no more than form that one syllable before the rest of his speech is abruptly cut off by the soft press of Kurama's lips to his. And even if he could think, could push the djinn aside, what would he say? With that simple, gentle, and unbelievably intimate contact, Yusuke _knows_.

Further words just seem like a waste of time as he falls to the bed with Kurama, in a tangle of warm limbs and even warmer kisses.


End file.
